PDF Viewer Modes for Small-Screen Reading and Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Viewing PDF documents on small screens, such as mobile phones and tablets, is cumbersome due to the difficulty in navigating and reading text that is too small when an entire page is displayed.
Innovation Solution
A viewer application that analyzes PDF documents to identify content areas and their relationships, allowing users to switch between page mode and text mode for improved navigation and readability, using authoring tool information, predefined rules, and machine learning to determine correct reading order.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the entire page is displayed on a small screen, then the document layout is preserved, but the text becomes too small to read and navigation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document into content units and content areas, allowing the system to process and display individual segments rather than requiring the entire page to be visible. This enables navigation through document segments on small screens while maintaining the ability to reconstruct the original layout when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension by implementing multiple display modes (page mode and text mode) that transform the two-dimensional page layout into a linear text stream optimized for small screens. This dimensional transformation allows text to be displayed in reading order without requiring users to navigate complex multi-column layouts.
2Ease of operation
If text mode is used to extract and reformat body text, then readability is improved, but the original layout and visual structure are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic display system that allows users to switch between page mode (preserving original layout) and text mode (optimizing readability). This dynamic adaptability enables the system to provide different views based on user needs, allowing users to access both the visual structure and the improved text flow as required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a textual copy of the document content in text mode, extracting body text from the original PDF structure. This copy maintains the semantic content and reading order while presenting it in a format optimized for small screens, without permanently altering or losing the original document.
3Stability of the object's composition
If page mode is used to preserve original layout, then visual structure is maintained, but text size becomes too small for comfortable reading on small screens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the two-dimensional page layout into a one-dimensional linear text stream in text mode, allowing text to be displayed in reading order on small screens. This dimensional change enables the text to be presented at appropriate sizes without the constraints of the original multi-column page layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the display parameters by switching between different modes that alter text size, layout configuration, and presentation format. In text mode, the system adjusts text size and spacing parameters to optimize readability on small screens, while in page mode, it maintains the original parameters.
4Adaptability or versatility
If navigation through PDF pages is used on small devices, then document access is possible, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of the PDF document structure to identify content units, content areas, and their reading orders before display. This preliminary processing enables the system to present navigation-optimized views that reduce the time users need to spend navigating, as the heavy lifting of structure analysis is done in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the viewer application with automatic reading order detection) that mediates between the original PDF structure and the user interface. This intermediary automatically determines the reading order and presents content in an optimized sequence, eliminating the need for users to manually navigate through complex PDF page structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Roughly described, a viewer application is provided for viewing a PDF document on a screen of a device such as a mobile phone or tablet. The viewer application may operate in page mode or in text mode. In page mode the original layout is maintained, and navigation assistance is provided by use of a navigation pane indicating the contents of the screen with a superimposed frame. Display of the navigation pane is controllable by the user. In page mode a selected text column is scrolled and zoomed to optimize reading. In text mode, text is extracted from the document and reformatted in text view to be continuous and complete in correct reading order, and images and advertising may be excluded. The user may toggle between page mode and text mode. The viewer application is implemented in software to by executed by a processor on the device.